Grayling Fishing in December on 2 beautiful NW rivers

Fishing in December is often challenging because the onset of winter usually brings cold and wet weather, and this year was no exception.

I’ve had to fit my fishing in around floods. So, let’s take a look at how I got on this month…

Fishing in December on the Welsh Dee

The wet and windy weather that rolled in at the start of December pushed the river level skywards. After the initial heavy rain, the river level began to fall by Friday but was still high (0.9m @ Manley Hall).

The break in the weather was enough to tempt me out fishing at Llangollen before the start of the Hanak European Grayling fishing competition on the 4^th of December.

Grayling fly fishing at Llangollen

I planned to fish the Cottage pool, but I met a couple of anglers heading back to their car. They had been practising for the grayling competition. Therefore, I changed my plan and headed upriver to fish Duncans, a pool that fishes well in high water.

Fly fishing Duncans Pool

After parking by Llantysilio church, I walked upriver to Duncans Pool, passing the glide above Horseshoe Falls, where the water was flowing too fast to fish.

The river was flowing quickly through the majority of Duncans Pool. However, there was a zone of fishable water on the inside bend of the pool.

I set up my rod to fish a team of Czech nymphs space 18″ apart on 4 lb fluorocarbon leader because no grayling rising (point: #13 PTN with a 4 mm orange TB; middle dropper: #14, purple collar black PTN with a 3.5 mm silver TB; top dropper: #18, Hares Ears 1.5 mm copper TB).

I began fishing the slack water zone with the nymphs. After a few casts, my line stopped, and I tightened into my first grayling of the day, which had taken the Hares Ear nymph.

After several casts, the Hares Ear nymph added a small grayling and an OOS brown trout to my tally.

Near the tail of the pool, I tightened into a bigger fish that made a B-line for main flow, stripping line from the reel. Unfortunately, the fish threw the hook as I tried to get it under control.

Dejected and cold, I nearly called it a day but decided to change my nymph set up and fish the pool again.

The pheasant nymph on the middle dropper wasn’t tempting anything. Therefore, I switched it to a pink squirmy worm (#14).

The change was a good move because, after a few casts, I caught a larger grayling on the squirmy.

The squirmy produced three more graylings in quick succession…

I was now on a roll.

My renewed enthusiasm helped me push through the penetrating cold and catch another three grayling, two of which fell for the Hares Ear nymph and the other on the squirmy worm.

By 3 pm, I’d almost lost the feeling in my frozen right hand. Therefore, very pleased with…

My tally of 9 grayling and a couple of OOS brown trout.

I called it a day, went back to the car for a hot drink, and drove home with the heater on maximum.

On reflection, when fishing is slow it’s clear that…

a change of approach can change your fortunes.

18th December – Grayling fishing at Llangollen

After the Hanak grayling fishing festival, the weather turned nasty, and a week of heavy rain pushed the Welsh Dee skywards, with the level peaking at 1.7m (Manley Hall gauge).

It took a week of settled weather for the river to drop to a fishable level. The river level was still high (0.9m @ Manley Hall) but running clear. All of which tempted out to fish Duncans Pool again.

It was a cold, overcast day, and not surprisingly, there wasn’t a hatching fly insight. Therefore, I decided to test a couple of new nymphs that I’d tied recently (#14 pink lace nymph 3.5mm TB and #16 peacock caddis 2 mm metallic pink TB) on the middle and top droppers respectively. These were teamed, with a #12 olive tungsten jig-back on the point.

Starting opposite the 2nd rock outcrop, I slowly fished down the pool, concentrating on the slack/fast water seam. After about 15 minutes, my indicator dipped under the water, and I lifted the rod into a fish.

a grayling surface momentarily before darting downriver

Eventually, I gained the upper hand and guided it safely to the net. The grayling had taken the newly tied pink lace nymph on the middle dropper.

Fishing to the end of the slack water produced two takes, which I missed.

To warm up my cold, stinging fingers I put on some dry gloves, poured myself a hot brew, and contemplated my next move. It was too early to go home, so feeling refreshed, I fished the nymphs through the pool again.

About halfway down the pool, I caught another grayling that had fallen for the peacock caddis.

I didn’t have any more takes fishing the remainder of Duncans Pool and called an early end to a slow day on the Welsh Dee.

Grayling fishing at Llandderfel – 20^th December

For my last fishing trip of the year to the Welsh Dee, I ventured upriver to Llanddefel. The river level had continued to fall and was reading 0.39m on the gauge at Bala, a good height for grayling fishing at Llandderfel.

It was a cold, overcast day, and I hadn’t seen any fish rise. So, I opted to start fishing a team of nymphs on a 4lb fluorocarbon (point: #12 PTN with a 4.5 mm TB; middle dropper: #14, purple collar black PTN with a 3.5 mm purple TB; top dropper: #18, Hares Ears 1.5 mm copper TB).

On walking from the car park, the first pool I reached had a lovely piece of fast at its head, which looked like a good grayling lie.

Therefore, from the body of the main pool, I fished the nymphs upriver. After a few casts, my line tightened into the first grayling of the day that had taken the purple nymph on the middle dropper.

Fishing the rest of the pool produced another two grayling that fell for the purple nymph.

I moved downriver to the next pool where I struggled to catch anything other than juvenile grayling. Further downriver, I came to a small island with a deep, slow-flowing pool that had the hallmarks of a winter grayling hideout.

Starting just below the drop-off zone of the pool, I fished my way slowly upriver. It proved to be a good move because it wasn’t long before I tightened into a big fish that took off downriver. After a short struggle, I guided a lovely grayling to the net that had taken the PTN on the point.

After a quick photo and returning the grayling, I continued fishing the nymphs upriver. Near the head of the pool, I caught another nice grayling that had fallen for the hare’s ear nymph on the top dropper.

The light was fading quickly, so I called it a day and headed back to the car, pleased with a successful grayling fish trip.

River Eden fishing in December for Grayling

Before Christmas (23/12), I squeezed in a grayling fishing trip to the River Eden near Carlisle.

It was a cold breezy day but I hoped to catch a few grayling because after the recent floods river was running clear and steady at a level of 0.69m (@ Great Corby).

No flies hatching, so I set up my 11ft 3# Vision Nymphmaniac rod to fish a team of nymphs space 18″ apart on a 4lb fluorocarbon leader (point: 14# Hares Ear quill nymph with a 3.5mm silver TB; middle dropper: 14# orange 3mm TB quill nymph; top dropper: 18# hares ear nymph 1.5 mm TB). 

The gusty conditions made bit detection difficult, and after missing several takes, I caught the best grayling of the day on the orange tag PTN.

Fishing until the light faded produced several small graylings that fell to the quill and hare’s ear nymphs.

If you’re interested, the following post has more information on fly fishing for grayling fly in winter.

• Winter fly fishing for grayling: Great tips for beginners

Grayling fly fishing in December summary

In between the December floods, I experienced some fruitful grayling fishing trips to Welsh Dee and River Eden. Short-line nymphing techniques produced the best catches when fly hatches were absent.

Overall, I have had a great time grayling fishing in December, and I hope January brings me more grayling success on the Welsh Dee and rivers further afield.